Alumnus Publishes Book Set at UNI

Posted on Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

By Rachel Routier

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—Dr. H. Arlo Nimmo published his book, Before Summer, this last January. The book is a collection of 16 short stories that illustrates the story of a character growing from seven years old to the time he graduates college.

The stories tell a tale of a gay youth’s coming of age in Iowa during the 1940s and 1950s. Readers follow the character, Lach MacLennan, through his life in small town Iowa, to college and even on an army base during World War II.

Nimmo attended the Iowa State Teachers College, as the University of Northern Iowa was called when he attended over fifty years ago. Readers familiar with UNI may recognize the descriptions of the college. Nimmo’s own life experiences help to frame and shape the stories. Nimmo grew up in Monroe, and came to Cedar Falls in 1954.

At 77, Nimmo lives in San Francisco and is a professor emeritus of anthropology at California State University East Bay.